FBI Sting Spotlights Human Trafficking

Arizona Operation Leads to Arrests of Four Men

A sting featuring a fake sex-slave auction in Arizona has uncovered what authorities say is a little-known human-trafficking threat while also sparking criticism of increasingly elaborate undercover operations.

Four American men have been arrested and charged with federal trafficking offenses in recent months for attempting to buy slaves at a fictitious auction set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a wealthy Phoenix suburb. Undercover agents reached out to the men after they had allegedly shown interest in buying...